Ski boot



Jan. 27 1970 H. MARTIN 3,491,465

SKI BOOT Filed July 10. 1967 INVENTOR 7 BY (a r/ 14 1 United States Patent 3,491,465 SKI BOOT Hans Martin, Volkmarstrasse 6, Zurich, Switzerland Filed July 10, 1967, Ser. No. 652,167 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 21, 1966, 10,563/ 66 Int. Cl. A43b 5/04 US. Cl. 36-25 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ski boot having an upper providing an opening for stepping into the boot. The inventive ski boot incorporates a pair of boot closure means which are provided at such upper. This pair of boot closure means embodies a first closure unit for widening and narrowing the aforesaid opening for stepping into the boot and a second closure unit for tightening said upper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention broadly pertains to improvements in footwear and, more particularly, relates to a new and improved ski boot.

As most persons familiar with the sport of skiing recognize, it is important for the descent that the ski boots tightly encircle and properly fit about the foot of the user, since only in this way is it possible to obtain the positive transmission of the desired movement of the foot to the ski. This requires a very tight lacing or binding of the boot. On the other hand, in order to put the boot on it it is necessary that a sufficiently large opening is available for stepping comfortably into the boot, in other words that the flaps of the boot can be sufiiciently spread apart. However, when this is done the difference in the length of the lacing means or equivalent structure, between the opened and closed condition of the boot, is relatively great. In order to put on the boot the lacing or the like must be completely, or for the most part, disengaged and after stepping into the boot it must again be properly engaged with the boot. Yet, these manipulations have been found to be cumbersome and time cor1 suming. On the other hand, the relatively large required path of the traction member of a so-called single lever closure has rendered it impossible up to the present to place the boot, with a single manipulation of the hand, either in the open position or else in the closed, tensioned position, since the movement of a tensioning lever which is to be applied to the boot is naturally limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved boot construction which effectively and reliably overcomes the aforementioned problems of the prior art structures.

Another, more specific object of this invention is directed to the provision of an improved ski boot or the like which allows for putting on the boot in a very simple and easy manner, and further, enables proper tightening of the boot about the foot of the user in an equally simple and easy manner.

Still a furthersignificant object of this invention relates to an improved boot construction having two possibilities for tightening the boot about the foot of the user, wherein the first possibility allows the boot to be selectively widened in a very easy and simple way so that the user can slip his foot into the boot without any great difiiculty or time consuming manipulations, and thereafter the second possibility enables the boot to be properly tightened about the foot of such user as required for the actual descent on the skis.

3,491,465 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 Generally speaking, in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the inventive ski boot incorporates an upper providing an opening for stepping into the boot. According to one important manifestation of the invention, two boot closure means are provided at one and the same upper of the boot, namely a first closure unit for widening and narrowing the opening for stepping into the boot and a second closure unit for tightening the upper about the foot of the user.

Since the invention contemplates for a separation of the means which allows for opening the boot so as to get into and out of the boot from those means which permit tightening of the boot, particularly for the descent on the skis, it is possible to get along with tensioning members which require a relatively small tensioning path or displacement, without the width of the foot insertion opening of the boot, during placing the boot on the foot, being disadvantageously affected. Consequently, the prerequisites for obtaining a closure means which can be opened and closed or tightened with few manual manipulations are completely fulfilled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 schematically illustrates a respective view of a preferred embodiment of ski boot incorporating the inventive closure means for such boot; and

FIGURE 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tensioning lever employed in the ski boot of FIGURE 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawing, the depicted exemplary embodiment of single upper-ski boot B comprises a sole 1, a heel portion 2 and an upper 3. A first boot closure means in the form of a zipper mechanism 4 is located at the front side or instep portion 15 of the upper 3 of the ski boot B. This zipper mechanism 4 can be conveniently opened and closed, as desired, by appropriately manipulating a suitable pull strap 5 or the like. Further, the inventive ski boot B is equipped with a device for pulling together the closure flapzl. l5, 7 of the upper 3 and which is located laterally adjacent the zipper mechanism 4 which extends from the top towards the bottom of the aforementioned ski boot. More: precisely, a number of metallic plate members 8 or equtvalent devices are secured for this purpose to the upper closure flap -6 and to the further closure flap 7 which is loosely arranged beneath the aforementioned upper closure flap 6. These metallic plate members 8 or the like are rigidly connected by rivets 9 or equivalent fastening expedients to, the leather of the ski boot B and internally possess a rotatable roller, generally indicated by reference numeral 16, over which is guided a substantially elongate traction member 10, for instance a cord, lace, band or cable.

The metallic plate members 8 are alternately connected first at one and then the other closure flap 6, 7 so that the through-threaded traction member 10, when tensioned, draws both of these closure flaps 6 and 7 over one another, with the traction member 10 rolling upon the rollers 16. Both of the closure flaps 6 and 7 overlap one another, and the lower closure flap 7 can extend up to or past the zipper mechanism 4. Beneath the zipper mechanism 4 and beneath the lower closure flap 7 there is situated a well padded tongue member which is not visible in the drawing. The ends of the traction member 10 are anchored at the top and bottom to the upper 3 of the ski boot B by means of suitable holding or fastening elements 11.

By further referring to the drawing, andin particular to FIGURE 2, it will be recognized that the ski boot B is here equipped with a tensioning closure means in the form of a tensioning lever 13. The latter is provided with a base plate 14 secured to the closure flap 7 as well as with a pivotably mounted bracket 15 equipped with at least one engaging hook member 16 in which there can be suspended or engaged the traction member 10. In the closed condition of the ski boot-in other words in the tensioning positionthe traction member 10 is located beneath the dead center position, so that the tensioning lever 13 is held in its boot closure position. In order to relax or unload the traction member 10 the bracket 15 is pivoted back into the opposite position from that shown in FIGURE 2.

Instead of the arrangement of the zipper mechanism 4 at the front side or instep region 15 of the upper 3 such zipper mechanism could also be disposed at the heel portion of the ski boot B, extending from the top towards the bottom, as schematically indicated by reference numeral 4'. Owing to this arrangement the heel portions 17, 18 of the upper 3.can be spread apart, and therefore, a comfortable slipping into the boot B is possible.

Furthermore, it should be appreciated that instead of the illustrated tensioning device it would also be possible to use different constructions of tensioning mechanisms, for instance employing a rotatable handle or the like at the shaft portion of which the cord, l-ace or cable is wound up and which can then be fixed in the tightened or tensioned position by means of a suitable locking mechanism. Additionally, it should be apparent that instead of using a single tensioning lever 13 it would be also equally possible to employ a number, for instance two such tensioning levers, wherein the upper one of these two serves to tension the upper portion of the boot and the other then serves to tension the lower portion.

Furthermore, it would be possible to provide this tensioning closure arrangement with a downwardly tiltable bracket or the like, so that a web or arm connected with the traction cable or cables can be engaged in a rack or the like, and thus can be fixed in different tensioning positions.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:

1. A ski boot having an upper providing an opening for stepping into the boot; a pair of boot closure means provided at said upper, said pair of boot closure means incorporating a first closure unit including a zipper for widening and narrowing said opening for stepping into the boot and a second closure unit for tightening said upper; said upper including a pair of closure flaps; said second closure unit being separate from said first closure unit and comprising a tensioning closure means cooperating with said closure flaps to enable drawing together said closure flaps to tighten said upper when said zipper mechanism is closed; said tensioning closure means including a traction member that can be alternately connected to both of said flaps and at least a single tensioning lever means cooperating with said traction member in order to selectively loosen and tighten said connected traction member.

2. A ski boot as defined in claim 1 wherein said tensioning lever means comprises a single lever member.

3. A ski boot as defined in claim 1 wherein said tensioning lever means comprises a plurality of iever members.

4. A ski boot as defined in claim 1, wherein said first closure unit is located at the front side of said upper.

5. A ski boot as defined in claim 1, wherein said first closure unit is located at the heel region of said upper.

6. A ski boot as defined in claim 1, wherein said pair of boot closure means are located at the front side of said upper and each extend from the top towards the bottom of said upper.

7 A ski boot as defined in claim 1 wherein said traction member comprises lacing means, said lacing means being secured to said upper adjacent the top and bottom of the opening formed by the closure flaps.

8. A ski boot as defined in claim 1, wherein said second closure unit further includes a plurality of plate means for receiving said 'traction member, said plurality of plate means being alternatingly connected to both of said closure flaps.

9. A ski boot as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure unit embodies a plurality of deflecting members for said traction member alternately arran ed at said pair of closure flaps, said traction member being alternately guided over said deflecting members first at one closure flap, then at the other, and said tensioning means comprises at most two tensioning levers for each boot for selectively tensioning and relieving said traction member.

References Cited UNITED- STATES PATENTS 

